2026 General Election County Council District 4

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Eileen O’Hara
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/07/candid...een-ohara/

https://ballotpedia.org/Eileen_Ohara_(Ha...ign_themes


Lloyd Enriquez
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/07/candid...-enriquez/

https://ballotpedia.org/Lloyd_K._Enrique...date_2026)

[kalianna]

"Eileen was on the council for 2 years and was voted out for introducing a bill to outlaw rooster farms.
Eileen also caught a lot of flack for speed bumps on Papio street in Hawaiian Beaches."

The cause of Eileenʻs defeat being because of roosters is an assumption. But are rooster farms really something to be defended? And was stopping the drag racing on Papio a bad idea?

And Obie, to answer your question, Smiley Burrows is an active Eileen OʻHara supporter.

Why does Lloyd refuse to debate?

[Punatang]

Personally, I think we could use a great many more speed bumps everywhere.  Although, flock cameras, with built in laser and radar speed detectors might be a better solution for the life and safety threatening disregard for speed limits in Puna.  Tax 'em till they slow the heck down.

Which candidate has demonstrated the best grasp of the basic economic law of supply and demand?  There are too many people struggling with housing in Puna.

[ChunksterK]

I had neighbors who rarely voted and had never been to a political event of any kind until Eileen O'Hara proposed restricting rooster operations in residential neighborhoods. They promptly turned out in droves to scream at her and denounce her for trying to destroy their "culture." Never mind that cockfighting is illegal and associated with all sorts of unsavory ancillary activities.

That alone was enought to insure my vote for her, then and now.

[ironyak]

kalianna - Smiley Burrows is an active Eileen OʻHara supporter.
Has this be stated publicly somewhere? Be interested to hear her endorsement.

Meanwhile, Jen Ruggles said apparently that she wouldn't vote for Eileen based on their time working on together on County Council (via Damon Tucker so apply grains of appropriate seasoning as warranted ;)

As for debate, I thought Lloyd had been at the Town Halls and Candidate Forums answering questions from voters? Maybe he doesn't want to engage in attacking and demeaning the other candidate which is part and parcel for most 1v1 political debates? Totally just a guess, but just doesn't seem to be his style IMO.

[HiloJulie]

I think laser and radar speed detecting flock cams as well as vastly increasing the speed bumps in Puna will go a long long way to ensure that our homeless brothers and sisters can be put into very affordable housing almost immediately. 

I think about the only other way to improve our homeless situation in Puna is slapping arbitrary tariffs on virtually every building component needed to build any such affordable housing, but we can't have our cake and eat it too!

[kalianna]

Smiley has not offered an official endorsement that I know of, but I have seen her at Eileenʻs events. And Lloyd did not participate in any of the community talk stories with the other candidates, only his own, by himself. To his credit, Lloyd has not directly engaged in the rumor revival slop online, but he has certainly not stopped others (ie Mark Simshaw) from doing so.

And a Jen Ruggles non-endorsement doesnʻt hold much sway with me.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Jen Ruggles said apparently that she wouldn't vote for Eileen based on their time working on together on County Council

Here’s a link to some of Jen Ruggles greatest hits like:

* insists the government is illegal.
* Didn't Jen Ruggles continue to get paid for being on the County Council while not doing her job?

https://punaweb.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=21535&pid=320204&highlight=Ruggles#pid320204


a Jen Ruggles non-endorsement doesnʻt hold much sway with me.

I agree

[ironyak]

kalianna - And Lloyd did not participate in any of the community talk stories with the other candidates, only his own, by himself.
It seems like we're talking past each other, or you're way overstating your claim. Are you saying Lloyd wasn't at the July 22 District 4 Candidates Forum with Eileen, Tam, Cyd, Smiley, etc... as advertised?

To his credit, Lloyd has not directly engaged in the rumor revival slop online, but he has certainly not stopped others (ie Mark Simshaw) from doing so.
Not sure how somebody controls the actions of somebody else, unless you want their rights to be infringed?

Edge - Here’s a link to some of Jen Ruggles greatest hits
Yeah, Jen was a lot of fun - certainly can't say she's not from Puna! I was more just amused by her - I don't know Lloyd but I would never vote for Eileen - hot take.

Y'all down there have the spicy politics this time round so we get to enjoy the show from an slightly elevated perspective and stay out of the fray (this time - maybe we can get future up-country candidates to deny the legitimacy of the government or go all in on drug legalization or trucks have natural rights or something :)

[kalianna]

ironyak, Iʻm not sure which forum you are referring to an 7/22 but I can say that he definitely did not attend the HPP candidates forum and from what others have told me, he did not attend the Pahoa gathering either. You will see his name listed among the invitees but that doesnʻt mean he attended.

And I donʻt want anyoneʻs rights to be controlled, but a candidate running for office who sees a supporter posting derogatory comments may want to ask that supporter to stop "helping".